Purrfect Family Photos of Proud Cats With Their Kittens

What could be more adorable than cats with kittens? Though many of us feline fans like to call ourselves "cat moms" or rave about our "fur babies," there's nothing quite like the bond between an actual mother cat and her kitten.

Why Cats and Kittens Have the Sweetest Bond

Ever wonder why cats purr in the first place? Well, the signature sound that cats are so famous for is actually a bonding mechanism between a kitten and his or her mother. Kittens often learn to purr when they are about one or two days old, and veterinarians suggest this purring is a way of them telling Mommy, "I am okay" and "I am here." Though experts don't know for sure why domestic cats purr, many people interpret the sound as a sign of contentment or pleasure. To us, it's mostly a sign of adorableness. So you're not alone if the thought of cats and kittens purring together in harmony has you grinning from ear to ear!

If you consider yourself one of those proud human "cat moms," you might be even more pleased to know that if your kitty is kneading you, rubbing against you, or raising his or her tail, he or she is performing even more behaviors that he or she would do with an actual cat mom. "All the behavior they show toward us is derived in some way from the mother-kitten relationship," said cat behavior expert John Bradshaw in an interview with <a target="blank" href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140127-cats-pets-animals-nation-dogs-people-science/">National Geographic_. In return, cat moms groom their kittens. (So your cat better thank you the next time you brush his or her fur!)

That said, it never hurts to take a look at where some of the sweetest cat behaviors originally come from — Mommy. And, really, who's going to complain about oohing and ahhing over more than one cat?

Keep scrolling to see some of the world's cutest cats with kittens, then click on one of the circular buttons below your favorite image to share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest!